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A letter from Dr. William Sammons regarding the biomass power plant

To The Editor

The recent vote in by the City Council in favor of the Twisted Oak proposal reflects acceptance of the “Review” by Dr. Shaddix as an “evaluation”. It is not. The vote reflects lack of diligence—I doubt anyone in the group read all the references offered by Dr. Shaddix to see what they actually say.

[1] Dr. Shaddix stated that he had not reviewed the health literature and none of the references he sent on request provides any basis for the concluding statement that the project “should adequately protect the citizens.”

[2] A minimum of five of the references sent indicate that for optimal emission control to reduce emissions of dioxin and particulates the plant should use a different type of boiler than the grate boiler proposed. The project may be “well- considered” as Dr. Shaddix said —but not in a way to provide maximal protection to the citizens of Jasper and the surrounding area. The plan is carefully, and indeed brilliantly designed to maximize financial benefit to Twisted Oak, but the references provided clearly indicate it is not designed to maximize combustion control or to limit emissions to an absolute minimum which is what “carefully considered” would mean if the interests of Jasper were foremost in the considerations of the City Council.

[3] Dr. Shaddix repeatedly made the statement that the ultrafine particulate emissions would be controlled at a level of greater than 99.5% removal. Yet he furnished only one article with only one example of emissions from a biomass plant in China using a baghouse design. Repeated requests in the last two weeks from those authors and other authors in the United States have brought replies that they have no data from multiple sources to verify that claim made by Dr. Shaddix.

Moreover, since Dr. Shaddix said he lives within five miles of a biomass plant he led everyone to presume it was safe. Yet this spring, two biomass plants in central CA were fined an unprecedented $850,000 for repeated violations of PM emissions limits.

[4] In the public meeting Mr. Catasein stated the plant would be shut down if emissions limits were violated. That is not required by IDEM which generally allows at least 180 days for “correction” of most violations. There is no provision in the lease that requires such a shutdown. Therefore it won’t happen, but such statements fit the pattern of deception which been characteristic of this whole saga.

The brilliant financial design will make money for Twisted Oak and allow the current political figures to claim an income source to help cover the $4,000,000 liability for a coal contract that never should have been signed. Yet these same people invoke trust in their business savvy when asking the citizens to accept this agreement, despite having no health data that says that it will be safe.

The vote the other night did not approve the lease. Rather than make that decision now, let the people who will have the burden of dealing with any proposed development, the next mayor and the next council, make the final decision. They at least will look at all the data so they can substantiate the safety of any proposed development. The current group of decision makers lives in a land of make believe for which the people of Jasper will pay the price.

Dr. William Sammons
P. O. Box 292
Lincoln, MA 01773
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